Jade Mouse

Chapter 5

So yeah, of course it had to rain . . .

Rain isn't good. The danger the rain posed to risky activities, such as climbing walls and running on rooftops, was substantial. Also, there was the inconvenience of not being able to wear my best skulking garments. (my color-changing thoughtcloth doesn't work all that well in the rain, and it's murder to try to get dry) As well, there was the poor visibility – the thief I was looking for could very well be on the same roof as me and I might not see him.

In addition to all these factors, well . . . rain just sort of sucks in general. Five hours spent in the rain is really only fun if you're a flower, and I'm pretty certain that even flowers get sick of it after a while.

Still, I suppose it suited my mood. It had been late morning when I'd sat down and talked with Talia, and I'd seen her on many occasions the rest of the day. Each time we had encountered each other since our talk, her behavior was startlingly reminiscent of a jeweler who strongly suspects that you're wasting their time and not really interested in buying anything from them, but who decides to be pleasant and ingratiating anyways. I asked her several times if anything was the matter, and she'd cheerfully informed me each time that there wasn't, smiling in a manner that was so upbeat and friendly that I'd have to be an utter moron to believe her.

I suspected she wasn't entirely convinced of the rationale I used for gently discouraging her romantic notions - that she doubted my sincerity and presumed I had simply rejected her. I detected undercurrents of anger and smoldering resentment whenever I was near her, producing a feeling in me that seemed equal parts sad, wistful, and distressed.

Once evening fell, I was able to slink downstairs to the exercise hall and take refuge in my private meeting with Cyrus and Theo, discussing the details of what we would each be doing that evening. Things very quickly soured there as well, Cyrus revealing that someone had actually attempted a daytime robbery just that afternoon, bringing the total number of robbery attempts to three in the span of the past day alone.

Theo immediately insisted that I abandon the notion of focusing on the culprit who had made off with his sword, telling me that tracking the scoundrel down could wait, that three burglary attempts in a single day was absolutely ridiculous, and that I was a fool if I didn't stay and attempt to lock my keep up tighter than a lute string.

I advised my friend once more to shut up . . . louder this time.

As it turns out, Theo is nearly as protective of me as I am of him, and the debate regarding my security raged on for at least an hour, ending with Theo glumly promising he'd visit with his neighboring Lord as planned, but only because Cyrus had assured him he'd be working on the map while in my study, which was where all of my unwelcome visitors were attempting to break into in the first place. Clearly, the stresses of our various situations were beginning to wear on us, and everyone was feeling kind of miserable.

However, I noted bitterly, I was the only one of us who had to spend all night in the rain.

I felt a slight ticking sensation coming from the band wrapped around my wrist, which I'd almost missed for all the light taps of raindrops that peppered the dark cloak I'd kept wrapped tightly around my body. I grunted slightly, folding up my spyglass (which was pretty useless and blurry at the moment, now that the glass lens had gotten wet) and began stretching a little in order to ready myself for the now-familiar trip from my current perch at Tudor's place back to the one I'd found at Blackstaag Keep.

A few moments later I was on my way.

Although I dislike taking the same route more than once when sneaking about, there were only so many ways you could get from Tudor to Blackstaag efficiently. The path I'd settled on the past few times involved creeping atop the string of warehouse buildings that lined a fairly dark alley, and then dropping behind a fence protecting some industrious shopkeeper's attempt at a vegetable garden. From there it was a hop over another fence to a small chapel built near Blackstaag's retaining wall, which had some very climbable eves, and that also did a fair job of hiding a knotted rope that I'd left tied up to the outer wall after my first visit.